Irondale board refuses to recommend plan for condos, businesses at Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis Club

IRONDALE, Alabama --The Irondale Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday voted unanimously not to recommend the city council allow a portion of the Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis Club be rezoned to allow construction of 60 condominiums and a mix of retail businesses.

The vote came after the commission heard from more than a dozen residents of nearby neighborhoods who opposed the plan.

The developers can, however, appeal directly to the council to have the property rezoned.

Irondale in May sold the long-vacant club to developers Mark Gold and Isaac David for $1.1 million rather than the previously agreed upon $1.4 million.

"I believe this will be a beautiful, high-end, successful project," David said at the beginning of Thursday's public hearing. "We strongly believe this will raise the property values ... as well as tax revenue for Irondale."

Residents were not swayed, saying they were concerned about the traffic and noise and objected to the fact that previously agreed upon plans to build only garden homes and a country club had once again been changed. Others said multi-story condos atop shops and restaurants would not fit with the existing community.

"We are a community of single-family dwellings and we want to keep it that way," said Teresa Green.

"We worked very hard to hash out an agreement with the developer," said Molly Abele. "How many times are we going to do this? The trust is completely broken."

Council Member Craig Sanderson called the changing plans a "classic case of bait and switch."

Asked by commission chairman James Snider if he wished to respond, David said, "It seems like whatever I say is not going to help. I'll talk to my partners and go from there."